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Mar 14

Sophie Raworth on midlife running: At 51 years old, I have never been faster – Telegraph.co.uk

Lose Weight Fast Comments Off on Sophie Raworth on midlife running: At 51 years old, I have never been faster – Telegraph.co.uk

There is something extraordinary about getting older but getting faster, marvels Sophie Raworth, when we meet in a caf close to BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place. I just find it astounding. I never imagined that I would be the fittest I have ever been at 51-years old. I have never been fitter or faster. It is the complete opposite to what you are led to believe.

"If I had started running like this when I was 20, I probably wouldnt be getting better because I would have been faster back then. But because I started later, I still have new marks to hit all the time. There is something very empowering about doing that at my age.

Cradling a flat white and wrapped in a long pink coat to fend off the chilly weather (any endurance athlete with low body fat needs a good winter coat), the BBC newsreader and mother of three admits running has taken over my life. When she is not presenting the six oclock news or striding across the BBCs giant outdoor map of the UK on election night, Raworth can be found dashing around Richmond Park, pounding up the Surrey hills with friends, or running the 10km from her home in south-west London to the BBC studio. She has completed 15 marathons including Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York - and three ultra-marathons, most notably the brutal 254km Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert. Not a bad rsum for someone who only started running in middle age.

Raworth has a particularly busy few days of running lined up. Today she is supporting the Beat Beethoven event at MediaCityUK for Sport Relief, in which runners will try to complete a 5k within the time it takes the BBC Philharmonic orchestra to play Beethovens Fifth Symphony live (around 30-35 minutes). She has also qualified to represent England in her age group at a race in Fleet, Hampshire, at the weekend.

Somebody came up to me in a coffee shop the other day and said: I saw you running on TV and I wish I could run too but I am 50. I said: I am 51! So you canrun! People write themselves off too quickly. But I like that I can still push boundaries. Sprinters dont get faster as they age but an endurance runner can get faster. Look at Jasmin Paris who (aged 35) ran the (268-mile) Spine Race last year and beat the record by about a day.

"In endurance running, particularly for women, age is no barrier. I have done a sub 3 hour 30 minute marathon twice now and I want to go better in London this year.

Running is known to improve cardiovascular health, lower body weight and elevate mood, but many midlifers still fear it will damage their knees. However, a recent study led by University College London found that taking up running in middle age actually strengthens your knee joints. The big barrier is still the notion that you are too old or worried about the impact, says Raworth. But, touch wood, I have never had problems and running just seems to strengthen my muscles, bones and knees.

Reminiscing about her time at Putney High and St Paul's Girls' Schools, Raworth mourns how her generation were not encouraged to exercise. This was the 80s and women werent encouraged to do sport, whereas my girls are encouraged all the time. I did a bit of track running. Then I got into diving. One of my fellow divers, who had lots of curly hair, was called Jason. I didnt realise until recently that it was (the actor) Jason Statham, because obviously he is now bald."

Raworth joined the BBC in 1992 and achieved rapid progress but, as the demands of her work increased, she didnt run again until her 30s. After giving birth to her second daughter, she signed up for the Great North Run, aged 36, in a bid to lose some baby weight. Committing to this half marathon lit the competitive spark which her gentle jogs had failed to ignite. I do like a challenge so I took it seriously. We used to run around the river with the two children in a double-buggy. I did the race in 2 hours and 6 minutes half an hour slower than I do now but I remember the absolute elation at the end.

Her first London Marathon, in 2011, did not go to plan. She collapsed with heat exhaustion after 23 miles and, after receiving medical attention for two hours, jogged to the finish line in a time of 6 hours and 22 minutes. Today, her personal best is an impressive 3 hours, 27 minutes and 1 second set at the Valencia Marathon in December.

Raworth admits that she gets very competitive with herself and has a coach to keep her on track. The other weekend my coach told me to run 17 miles. I ran 13 miles with friends and when I got back I thought: that is not enough! So I went out in the evening and did the extra four.

As a busy mother and television presenter, how does she fit it all in? If I am doing the news in the evening, I am not in until mid-morning, so when the kids go to school I have a couple of hours to run. I do my long runs early on a Sunday. And if I have a flat-out day, I will run to work with my kit on my back. I am lucky we get hair and make-up and a shower when I get there.

"I just make it work. I find the busier I am, the more I focus my mind, so you actually achieve more.

In a feat arguably more impressive than her marathon PB, she recently persuaded her children aged 15, 14 and 11 to run with her. I love running with my children although I cant say they love running with me, she laughs. My son likes a run but he beats me, which is annoying. The other two are older and they are not sure they want to be seen running with their mum.

"My oldest daughter has announced that she wants to run a half-marathon with friends. I was like: really? So its nice that this permeates and encourages them."

Raworth says one of the secret joys of running lies in not having to worry about what she eats. On a typical day she has a breakfast of porridge and honey, followed by a sandwich or some sushi at work, and some fish with salad in the evening. She reveals that the BBC news team treasures its 4pm chocolate break. I go and buy lots of chocolate for us, she laughs.

Finishing the Marathon des Sables in 2018 was, without doubt, her biggest challenge so far. I have never been more out of my comfort zone, she recalls. You are stripped back to your bare essentials. You just have to survive. You carry all your food and I lost a stone in weight. In June she will run the Comrades Marathon a 90km slog from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in South Africa, which she calls the Holy Grail for ultra-runners.

Despite her extreme athletic accomplishments, Raworth can still remember how anxious she felt on those first few jogs after giving birth, which is why she loves encouraging others to embrace new challenges. She has persuaded Ian Russell,the former BBC director whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life in 2017,to run this years London Marathon, at the age of 56. He is raising money for the Molly Rose Foundation, which the family set up in Mollys memory to help prevent the suicide of young people.

Raworth suggests any new midlife runners should sign up for a Park Run or download the NHS's Couch to 5k app. The big thing for people I know who started later in life is the feeling that everybody will be looking at them. Especially people who want to lose weight. But people just dont do that. Park Run is incredibly supportive. Everyone cheers you on.

Running may ignite Raworths competitive instinct and safeguard her health but on stressful days it is also a source of relaxation. Running is very liberating, she reflects. If I am worried about something, I go running. If I feel a bit ill, I go running as it wards that off. If I need to sort something in my head, I go running. It is as an escape and it is very meditative. We all lead busy lives and this is about finding a bit of space and time for yourself.

Follow Sophie on Twitter:@Raworthontherun

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Sophie Raworth on midlife running: At 51 years old, I have never been faster - Telegraph.co.uk

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